Resilient wheel



A. S NICKERSON.

'RESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED AUG.28. 1920.

1,414,093, Patented Apr. 25, 192 2.

' 7 (firm u 211 AHIRA s. nIoKEnsoN; or 'wnsrroar, MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whom it may concern Be itknoWnthat-I, Airmen S. NioKiiizsoN,a'citizen' of the Unitedfstates; residing; at VCSCPOIK in the county ofBristol and State of Massachusetts; have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wheels, of which the following is a speziifi cation,referencebeing had to the acconr panyi'ng drawings. V

This invention relates to resilient wheels, and more particularly to awheel embodying aspring tread. I f V Animportant object of the inventionis to provide a novel meanstorattaching the rim Other obj ects andadvantages will become apparent throug'li'outthe course of the followngldescription'.

,In' 'the accompanying "drav'vings wherein for the purpose ofillustration is shown a preferred embo'diineiitof my invention andwherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout tFigure lis afrag nentary elevational view. of an automobile wheelembodying m-yn-l vention;

a Figure 2 is a v the tread or chain mesh removed, ,1 v

Figure 3 is a detail'viewof a tread for chain'mesh; 1

Figure 4: is a section on line ofFig: urel. V I V V Referring" now more"part cularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the felly of awheel, and the numeral 11 .a rim or tread attaching member. This rim,for a purpose presently to appear, isprovided upon its marginal edgeswith flanges 12.

Upon the innersur'face of the rim is formed, to one side thereof aninwardly di rected, annular flange '13,'inthe present instance formed bybending the wall of the rim to form an inwardly directed flange." ,Thisflange when the rim is in position upon.

the fellyengages against one side face thereof. Retaining members 14 areprovided each U-shaped in form, one arm 15 of the mem- Resilient planview thereof but I with? clearly sho'vvn'in the" drawings.

eesrmsm H EL;

bers engaging against the outer- 'men'i bei'f of the flange 13 while theother arin'l6 thereof engages against'the face of'the' felly 10 1-e'-mote{ to thatengaged by the innei-"face' of the flange13; V y a The rimll has formed therein at spaced intervals,- openings 11 Bolts 17 are provided extending through the rim, telly and straps 14:, The headed endsof these bolts 7 Specification of Letters Patent. Pgptgntgfl v kpr ,5; V

' dA ppli'cation filed August 28, leaoi s'riai Nb." 465,585. 2 i

are-directed outwardly and are of such size 7 that they will enter theopeningsll n The the reception of nuts19.-

Springs 20 are provided havin'gat their lower ends; or what' might beprope'rly termed their inner ends; horizontal extending portions 21,which extend through trans verse openings 18 form'edfi-n' theheads18 ofthe bolts 17. It will be obvious that by tightening upon th 'e nuts 19the ends 21 of the springsare brought dowi'iw'ard tobiiid opposite endsof the-bolts are threaded tor firmly" against the' outer face ottherii'nfl l l andthat simultaneouslythe straps M are t'lgllttilitli Thesestraps re t t a movement Ofthe'rim 'llnpon the telly 10 and the bolts l7prevent longitudina l moves f ment thereof;

" The oujter ends of'the springs are p1reter= ablyfla-ttened 'as at 22,fora purpose presently to appear; Formed in the flanges 112 adjacenttheonter edges th'ereof; are a'fs'eries 1 fvi'ded -comprising, in: thepresent instance, :a Ineslr chain. This 'mesh chain 18 "formed of f aplurality of vertica-l'links 25 preferably oval in shap'e and-aplurality of horizontal links preferably circular in'shapeu 1The'horizontal and vertical links are alternated, as

' of openings 23 extending through the entire 1i ireveai- I a 26 areconnected by longitudinally extending vertical links 25; The intersticesbetween .7 the links of the chain are of such size that r therethrough;andj-in placing the tread in position this. is preferably done while thesprings 20'are under-aslight compression in; y .t order that thechaintread may not be loose-- the ends'ofthe springs 20 may-not projectenough to rattle.-

The chain tread is fastened inposition by a series of menibers28 eachembodying a spirit of my invention.

vertical. loop 29 which engages in the openings23 of the flange 12 and asecond vertical loop 80 engaging in the horizontal link 26 at the end ofthe corresponding transverse chain. It will, of course, be obvious thatin the construction of my device the springs will be varied in strengthin accordance with the load that is to be borne by thewheel.

It will likewise be obvious that by reason of its simplicity ofconstruction and the ease with which its members can be assembled andthe cheapness with which it may be man ufactured my invention is adaptedfor the use for which it is intended, and that the construction of thesame as herein illustrated may be somewhat modified without in anymanner departing from the I accordingly do not limit myself to thespecific construction hereinbefore set forth, except as so limited bythe subjoined claims.

Having now described my inventiomwhat' I claim is:

1. In a device of the type described, the combination with a rimprovided'upon its marginal edges with outstanding flanges and upon itsinner surface with an inwardly 6X- tending flange adapted toengage'againstone side face of the felly of the wheel, of clampingstraps adapted to engage the outer face of said flange and the side faceof the felly of the wheel remote from that engaged by said flange, atread member carried by said flanges, a plurality of resilientsupporting members for said tread member disposed about said rim andcommon means for securing said resilient members in position and i oneside face of the felly of a wheel, of

clamping straps adapted to engage the outer face of said flangeand theside face of the fellyof the wheel remote from that engaged by saidflange, a tread member carried by said flanges, a plurality of resilientsupport ing members for said tread member disposed about said rim andcommon means for particularly securing said resilient members inposition and securin said straps to the felly of the wheel, said commonmeans likewise serving to prevent clrcumferentlal shlftmg of the rimupon the felly. g V

3. In a device of the type described, the

combination with a rim provided upon its marginal edges with outstandingflanges and upon its inner surface with an inwardly extending flangeadapted to engage against one side face of the felly of a wheel, ofclamping straps adapted to engage the outer face of said flange and theside face of the felly of the wheel remote from that engaged by saidflange, a tread member carried by said flanges, a plurality of springscircumferentially spaced about said rim and formside face of the fellyof a wheel, of clamping straps adapted to engage the outer face of saidflange and the side face of the felly of the wheel remote from thatengaged by said" flange, a tread member carried by said flanges, aplurality of springs circumferentially spaced about said rim and forminga support for said tread, spaced aling'ed open? ings formed in said rimand felly, boltshaving their headed ends disposed outwardly extendingthrough said openings, an opening formed in each of said straps throughwhich one of said bolts extends and means for securing said springs tosaid bolts comprising transverse openings formed in the heads of saidbolts through which portions of said springs extend, the openings ofsaid rim being of suiiicient size to receive the heads of said boltstherein. v

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiflx my signature. or

AHIRA sNIcKsRsoN,

